Paper container



T. P. GUILD PAPER CONTAINER Filed Jan. 11, 1939 Feb. 4, 1941.

2 Sheets-Sheet l T-igz.

Inventor: Theodore? Guild, b i wl fi y His Attorney Feb. 4, 1941. T. P. GUILD PAPER CONTAINER Filed Jan. 11, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor:

TheodoreF uild b $4144 6 y H's Attorney Patented Feb. 4, 1941 N'i secs Monowatt Electric Corporation,

Providence,

R. I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application January 11, 1939, Serial No. 250,325

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to containers, and more particularly to a container for shipping and displaying merchandise.

In merchandising articles, such as wall plates or other wiringdevices having a finished surface, it is desirable to enclose them in a container which will protect the finished surface and also permit ready inspection of the article by the customer without opening the container. Inasmuch as these articles are of relatively low cost, it is necessary to keep the cost of packaging at a minimum. It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a display container which is economical to manufacture and apply to articles of the above type.

It is another object of this invention to provide a container for articles of the above type in the form of a wrapper of cardboard or similar material which is secured to the article by means of the usual mounting screws supplied with the article.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a view of a container for a Wall plate and plug receptacle; Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the container of Fig. 1 taken along the line 2-2; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the single blank from which the container is formed; Fig. 5 is a view of a modified form of container showing a wall plate for a toggle switch enclosed therein; Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the container of Fig. 5 taken 35 along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the lines 1-! of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the single blank from which the container of Fig. 5 is formed, and Figs. 9 and 10 are views of another modification.

In Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings a wall plate with an electrical receptacle secured thereto is shown enclosed within a wrapper or container in accordance with the present invention. A wall plate Ill and a receptacle body II are molded integrally or otherwise secured together to form a unitary structure. Extending through the wall plate on opposite sides of receptacle outlets [2 are openings l3 in which the mounting screws M are positioned. The screws each have a decorative head H which engage a finished front surface I 6 of the wall plate and a threaded portion which fits loosely in one of the openings I3 and projects beyond the rear face of the wall plate. The screws M are supplied with the Wall plate H] to mount it over the open side of an outlet box of a house wiring system. In use, the screws pass loosely through openings I3 and thread into tapped openings in the outlet box ears.

The wrapper or container is formed from a single blank I! scored along spaced parallel lines 5 18 to divide it into a front panel 49, side panels 20 and rear panels 2|. The panels form the front, side and rear walls of the container respectively, Each of the rear panels 2! is provided with a pair of apertures 22 which are spaced to 10 receive the threaded portions of the mounting screws M which project beyond the rear face of the wall plate. The rear panels are provided with recesses 23 extending inwardly from their H outer edges in order to form an opening in the container for the reception of the receptacle body when the blank is applied to the wall plate. Shoulders 24 formed near the inner edge of each of the recesses are spaced to engage the ends of the receptacle body and aid in positioning 20 the receptacle and container relative to each other. The tab 25 extending from the central portion of the inner edge of each of the recesses 2 3 is arranged to be folded outwardly from the rear wall of the container and cover the terminal 25 strip 26 and the binding screws 21 of the receptacle. The front face of the blank is provided with a centrally located diamond-shaped display opening .28 and as illustrated may also be provided with a plurality oftriangular-shaped 30 display openings 29 disposed around the diamend-shaped opening 28.

In applying the wrapper to the wall plate and receptacle the mounting screws are positioned in the openings i3 with the decorative heads in engagement with the finished surface of the wall plate and with the threaded portions of the screws extending from the rear of the wall plate. The plate is placed face down on the inner surface [of the front panel l9 and theblank folded around the plate with the rear panels 2| lying in overlapped relation to form the rear wall of the container. As the rear panels 2| are folded over the rear face of the wall plate the screws M are passed through the apertures 22 formed in the rear panel. These apertures are arranged to come into alignment as the end'panels are folded to form the rear of the container. The aper tures are preferably of slightly smaller diameter than the screws so that good holding engagement between the screws Hi and the walls of the openings .22 is insured. With this arrangement the container or wrapper is securely held on the wall plate by means of the usual mounting screws which are also held in their assembled relation with respect to the wall plate, It is apparent that this construction provides a simple way of packing the mounting screws and preventing them from becoming lost or separated from the wall plate with which they are furnished. At the same time the screws serve the useful function of securing the wrapper to the wall plate.

In Figs. 5 to '7 a modified form of the container is shown applied to a wall plate for a toggle switch. As in the construction previously described a blank I! (Fig. 8) is scored along parallel lines l8 to divide the blank into a front panel l9, side panels 20 and rear panels 2 I. The rear panels are provided with spaced apertures 22 for the reception of the mounting screws I4. In this modification a flap 30 extends from the outer edge of one of the rear panels 2| and is provided with a pair of spaced apertures 3| for the reception of the mounting screws. The flap 3D is arranged to be folded back on the rear panel 2| to which it is attached with the apertures 3| in alignment With apertures 22. This construction stiffens the panel and provides for better engagement between the mounting screws and the container. By folding back the flap 30 the outer surface of the blank is exposed through the opening 32 formed in the wall plate for the reception of the operating member of a wiring device such as a toggle switch (not shown). This arrangement permits the use of a blank having only one finished surface without impairing the appearance of the container. As before the front panel of the blank is provided with display openings 28 and 29. In the modification shown in Figs. 5 to 8, the openings l3 in the wall plate lie within the confines of the display opening 28 of the container. With this arrangement the container is applied to the wall plate by first folding the blank I! about the wall plate with the openings l3 and the apertures 22 and 3| in alignment and then positioning the screws M in the openings I3 and forcing the threaded portions thereof through the aligned apertures of the rear panels 2| and the flap 30.

In Figs. 9 and 10 a similar display container or wrapper is shown applied to a wall plate for a duplex receptacle. In this modification only one mounting screw is furnished with the wall plate and, accordingly, the rear panels 2| and the flap 30 of the blank are each furnished with only one aperture, located to receive the mounting screw when the blank is folded about the wall plate to form a container.

With the container described above a simple and inexpensive means for packing and displaying wiring devices such as wall plates is provided. The container prevents the finished surfaces of the wall plate from becoming shopworn or otherwise damaged and, at the same time, provides means for securing the mounting screws assembled on the wall plate in the position they occupy when the wall plate is installed. These mounting screws also serve to hold the wrapper on the wall plate and prevent the wall plate from becoming accidentally removed from the open ends of the container. Thus, it is seen that the present invention provides a container which may be formed from a single cardboard blank and applied to the wall plate without requiring any other fastening means than the mounting screws which must be furnished with the wall plate and which usually require some other packaging to prevent them from becoming lost.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a wall plate and a container therefor, said wall plate having an opening formed therein on the longitudinal axis thereof, a mounting screw positioned in said opening and projecting beyond the back of said wall plate, said container comprisinga front wall having a display opening formed therein and a rear wall formed by two panels extending in overlapped relation over the rear face of said wall plate, said panels having aligned apertures formed therein for the reception of said mounting screw, said mounting screw having engagement with the walls of said apertures to hold said panels against the rear face of said wall plate and to position said wall plate relative to said container.

2. In combination, a wall plate and a container therefor, said wall plate having at least one opening formed therein on the longitudinal axis thereof, a mounting screw positioned in and loosely fitting said opening and projecting beyond the rear face of said wall plate, said container comprising a front wall having a display opening formed therein, said Wall plate having an additional opening within the limits of said display opening, and comprising further a rear wall formed of two panels extending in overlapped relation over the rear face of said wall plate, and a flap extending from the edge of one of said panels and folded back on said one panel to a position between said one panel and the rear face of said wall plate to display the outer surface of said flap through said additional opening, said panels having aligned apertures formed therein for the reception of said mounting screw, said mounting screw having engagement with the walls of said apertures whereby said panels are held against the rear face of said wall plate and accidental removal of said screw from said wall plate is prevented.

3. In combination, a wall plate and a container therefor, said wall plate having openings formed therein in spaced relation on the longitudinal axis thereof, mounting screws positioned in and loosely fitting said openings and projecting beyond one face of said wall plate, said container comprising a single panel extending over another face of said wall plate and another wall formed of two panels extending in overlapped relation over said one face of said wall plate, said last-f mentioned panels having aligned apertures formed therein for the reception of said mounting screws, said mounting screws having en gagement with the walls of said apertures whereby said last-mentioned panels are held against said one face of said wall plate and accidental removal of said screws from said openings is prevented.

THEODORE P. GUILD. 

